Let me start off by saying up front, this is NOT an ad for any particular device or company. I’m merely setting down my experiences and making some general recommendations. My first attempt at standing up a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) was just so I could have access to the Internet from anywhere in my three story townhouse. I hooked up my cable modem to a directional wireless router, and adjusted the antennae so that I had adequate coverage on all floors.
Then I made sure the LAN was secure by assigning a strong password to the router’s encryption feature. All went well. I could go anywhere I pleased in our home and access the Internet. Over time, I populated each floor with a smattering of various PCs, conveniently located so I could log in whenever the whim hit me. My family also liked the convenience of being able to reach the Internet with whatever portable device they happened to hold. Just for convenience, I placed a wireless printer on each floor and linked it to the WLAN. Everything was going on smoothly.